Bet

Bet

Bet

Bet

A new era has officially begun at Real Madrid after Florentino Perez was declared the default winner in the club's uncontested presidential elections.

Los Blancos 2-1 defeat at Osasuna on Sunday evening drew the curtains down on the 2008-09 season as well as the eventful Ramon Calderon regime, but the team’s fifth successive loss is certain to be overshadowed by news that Perez has been installed as the supremo for a second stint.

An official statement on the club’s website read, “It is now 00:01 on 1 June 2009, making the deadline to make a bid for the Election to the Presidency of Real Madrid officially over.

“The Electoral Board wishes to announce that following Point 2 in Section E of Article 40 of the club’s Statutes, given that only one bid has been made, D. Florentino Perez has been proclaimed as the new president of Real Madrid.”

Perez, along with his board of directors, will take office at 13:00 CET on Monday in the Presidential Balcony of the Santiago Bernabeu.

AS reports that his first act will be to announce Jorge Valdano as his new sporting director, while it is believed that on Tuesday, he will unveil Manuel Pellegrini as the new coach, replacing Juande Ramos. Later in the week, he is expected to present Kaka as the first superstar signing in his second 'Galactico' tenure.